One way that I jazz up a pot of dahl is to add veggies. In this recipe I use undercooked cauliflower to add crunch and spinach for the nutrients. Lentils are extremely healthy and have the third highest protein by weight of any legume or nut after soy beans and hemp. Combined with a grain like brown rice, it makes a complete protein.

Method:
1. Rinse the lentils and soak overnight. Drain and rinse the lentil and add water.
2. Bring the lentils to a boil and cook on medium heat until the lentil are soft, about 30 minutes or so. With a potato masher, mash the lentils.
3. Heat a medium-sized saucepan on medium heat and add the oil. Add the mustard seeds, cumin and fenugreek and cook until the seeds pop, 30 seconds to one minute.
4. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté until golden about 30 seconds. Then add the onion and cook until caramelized.
5. Add the turmeric and stir quickly to prevent the turmeric from burning. Quickly add the cauliflower. Cook the cauliflower until the outside begins to soften and starts to turn transparent. Don’t over cook the cauliflower as it will continue to cook in the dahl.
6. Transfer the cauliflower into the pot of dahl. Add the spinach to the saucepan and cook until wilted.
7. Add the mixture from the saucepan to the dahl. Add the salt and enjoy.

Salads that eat like a meal, like this one here, can be healthy snacks that tie down your appetite between meals. The combination of the sweet beets and blueberries with the savoury feta and walnuts, creates contrasting flavours that satisfies the palate. In the summer when I want something light for dinner, I often make this salad.

People often ask me how I cook with squash. It seems that there are two popular ways to cook squash, roasted in the oven with drizzled olive oil and salt or as a big pot of soup. Indians only have one way of cooking, they turn everything into a curry. As a kid I detested squash curry. My mother a fanatic of squash, made it way to often for my liking. As an adult I have learnt to appreciate the flavour of this curry and my kids love the sweetness and of it. Use a sweet squash for this recipe and serve with hot flatbread on the side.

1. Cut the squash in half and take out the guts. Place on a lined baking tray and roast in the oven for half and hour or until the squash is cooked. Let cool. Peel of skin and chop into 1 inch pieces.

2. Add 1 tbsp of oil to a medium-sized saucepan on medium heat. Crush the cardamom and cloves and add to the hot oil along with the mustard and cumin seeds.

3. When the seeds pop add the garlic and ginger and sauté until they brown about 30 seconds. Add the onions and sauté until caramelized.

4. Add the turmeric, stir and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the squash and 2 tbsp of olive oil. Depending on how much moisture is in the squash, you may need to adjust the amount of oil that you need. Cook until the squash softens and all the flavours incorporate 5-10 minutes.

Olives are one of my favorite foods and I eat them almost every day. I like to make a platter with a handful of olives, cheese and crackers that I eat for a snack or nibble on while I am cooking. To make olive tapenade all you do is throw a few things into a blender or food processor and it’s ready. Besides the obvious ways to use tapenade, you can easily dress up a sandwich by smearing on a layer of tapenade. Or you can mix a spoon of tapenade in a small bowl of plain vegan mayo and replace that with the plain mayo that you use in your sandwich.

Directions:
1. Combine the lemon juice, olive oil and garlic in a blender and blend together.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend on low being careful to not over process the olives.
3. Serves with crackers and cheese.

This soup is really easy to make and fun to eat. My son says that his favourite thing about this soup is making words on his spoon with the alphabet shapes. It takes me back to when I was a kid and would stick my fingers in my soup and do the same. I guess somethings don’t change.

I had to look around before I found organic alphabet pasta at a health food store. The pasta expands quite a bit when you cook it so you don’t need that much. The amount of water that you add may vary based on how much is absorbed by the pasta. To make an adult version of this soup, try it with hot sauce and fresh ground pepper.

These root vegetable hash browns are much healthier than eating just regular potatoes. For this recipe I use beets, purple and red potatoes and carrots. These hash browns are full of flavour and much lighter than the regular ones. Plus you still get that satisfying feeling after you eat them. I serve these on the side of tofu omelettes and sometimes eat them alone as a snack.

Directions:
1. Rinse and scrub the root vegetables with a brush.
2. Boil water in a kettle and transfer to a stock pot, this uses less energy.
3. Bring the water to a boil and add the beets.
4. Cook for the beets for about 10 – 15 minutes and then add the potatoes.
5. When a thin knife slides into the potatoes easily and when the potatoes are still firm add the carrots.
6. Cook for about 3-5 minutes and then drain the vegetables. Cut
7. Heat a medium-sized saucepan on medium heat and add the olive oil.
8. Add the beets and cook for about 3 minutes.
9. Add the potatoes and drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Grab the handle of the pan and toss the vegetables, this will make the veggies crispy on the outside.
10. Add the carrots and another 1 tbsp of olive oil. Toss the vegetables.
11. When the vegetables are nearly roasted add the spices, toss and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

Using a croissant instead of regular bread turns any sandwich into a gourmet one. The buttery flavour and flaky texture of the croissant, compliments the smokey flavour of the veggie bacon. I like to use spinach leaves in my sandwiches to add variety.

Directions:
1. Cut the croissant in half and lay on a tray. Preheat the oven on low heat.
2. Prep the veggies and have the mayo ready.
3. Drizzle olive oil into a medium-sized saucepan on medium heat and add the veggie bacon. The veggie bacon cooks quickly so stay close by. When it starts to sizzle, flip over about a minute. Cook for another 30 seconds and place on croissant.
4. Add the toppings and eat while warm.